1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a stud finder, and more specifically to a stud finding device having a magnetic element disposed within an internal compartment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In both residential and commercial building construction, drywall or another similar wall forming material is typically secured to support studs via mechanical fasteners, such as nails or screws. The mechanical fasteners are oftentimes concealed by putty or other material to give the appearance of a continuous wall surface.
On occasion, it is to locate the studs beneath the walls or roofs and the like. Along these lines, it may be important, if not critical, to locate a structural stud member to perform even the simple task of hanging a picture or installing a new set of shelves. The hardware for hanging the picture or for supporting the shelves is typically driven into the studs to maximize the structural durability thereof. If the hardware is not driven into the studs, the picture or shelves may fall from the wall.
Various solutions in the prior art are known to reduce the likelihood of missing the stud when inserting hardware therein. Early solutions included locating studs by tracing or mapping their location on to the drywall during installation of the drywall. For example, mapping typically involved marking the drywall along a pair of spaced horizontal axis at set distances, and then using a straight-edge to trace a vertical line that connects each pair of marks and thereby illustrate the location of each stud. While this solution helped to locate the studs, the tracing could often be very time-consuming and lack the accuracy required for proper drywall installation. Other early solutions included pounding a small nail into the wall until the nail hit a stud. However, this technique would generally be tedious, time consuming, and generally results in several holes formed within the drywall.
In view of the deficiencies associated with early stud finding techniques, handheld electronic stud finders have been developed. More specifically, electronic wall stud sensors typically employ electronic sensing circuitry to accurately determine the location of the stud. Electronic stud finders typically use changes in capacitance to sense a stud's location. When the stud finder is over a surface such as wallboard, it will sense one dielectric constant but when over a stud, the dielectric constant is different. It typically works on a capacitance differential generated by density differences. The circuit in the stud finder can sense changes and report it on its display.
Although electronic stud finders may provide certain benefits relative to the earliest stud finding techniques, electronic stud finders generally suffer from several deficiencies. One deficiency is the cost associated therewith. The components typically included in the electrical stud finders, such as electrical circuitry, power sources, indication means, etc., generally results in a higher cost, particularly relative to the cost associated with the earlier stud finding techniques. Another deficiency associated with electronic stud finders is that they may not accurately indicate the position of the stud located behind a wall. For instance, the wall may include wiring, plumbing and other support structures which may interfere with the electronic stud finder's search for the stud.
As is apparent from the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a reliable and easy to use stud finding tool. The present invention addresses this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.